Final Orbit, a Thieves in Time story 11
by Orion Lyonesse
Summary: Avon finds out what it was like for Vila to be stalked by him over Malodaar. Follows 'Foreshadow.' A/V


_A/N: This is chapter 11 of __Thieves in Time__. It follows the episode 'Orbit' and is my attempt to tell what happened between Avon and Vila afterward. The episode always bothered me, because it seemed that Avon got off entirely too easily for what he tried to do to Vila. I know he was descending into the final insanity that caused Gauda Prime, but I felt he had to learn something from the event, nonetheless. That's why this was written._

_Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, but I do enjoy messing with their lives._

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"It's a trip I won't forget," Vila said softly, his voice equal parts despair and defeat.

"Well," Avon countered, "as you always say, Vila, you know you're safe with me." His smile chilled them all.

The three remaining crew members looked on in stunned silence, wondering what could have come between these two. They'd watched for over a year as Avon and Vila's relationship, while stormy at times, had blossomed into one of completeness. Lately, however, there had been an almost visible barrier between them, a barrier that so far neither man was willing nor able to explain.

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Scorpio was barely settled on its platform before Avon grabbed ORAC and disappeared into the bowels of the base. His parting look left the unspoken warning not to follow.

He secured the lock on his quarters and slammed ORAC's key in place. "Have you completed the task I gave you?"

+Yes, Avon.+

"Well?" He stopped, rephrasing, his voice dripping with sarcasm that was wasted on ORAC. "Oh, excuse me, ORAC, kindly divulge the information."

+Your suspicions were confirmed. Blake is on Gauda Prime. If you wish navigation coordinates, I can provide them.+

"Later, ORAC," Avon sighed, burying his face in his hands. "Blake!" he muttered, looking up, the spark of madness in his eyes threatening to explode and immolate them all. "Servalan's managed to disrupt every effort I've made on your behalf and when there's a chance of making some real progress at last, YOU come back to distract me! Why now, when I can least afford to be distracted?" He closed his eyes, the headache that had been only a possibility before, now coalesced into painful reality.

A soft knock at his door interrupted further musings.

"Who is it?"

"It's me." Vila's voice was muffled. "Please open the door, Avon."

"You could have easily boosted that lock, you know," Avon informed the thief as he entered.

"I got the impression you didn't want to be disturbed."

"Well, you've disturbed me now," he said shortly. "What do you want?"

Vila hesitated. "If…you'd like to talk, I can listen."

Avon sat on the low bed, running a hand through his already tousled hair. "Things are changing, Vila, moving too fast."

"I don't understand."

"I've…found Blake. This time I'm positive."

"You thought you'd found him once before. How do you know it's not another trap?"

"Because ORAC's the one who discovered the location. And because I see no evidence of Servalan's hand in it. I think by now I've come to recognize her distinct brand of interference."

"Why are you telling me this, Avon?"

"I told you that other time," Avon reminded him. "And because Tarrant and I are leaving for Betafarl in the morning to finalize the details on my proposal to the non-aligned planets. We have to convince Zukan to join the others against the Federation. But if something happens to me down there, it'll be up to you to locate Blake."

"And hand the whole bloody mess back to him?" Vila challenged.

"I can't give back something that was never mine to give. But the rest of it…this base, Scorpio, the Alliance, if it become a reality. I'm tired, Vila, and I want out."

"Does the 'rest of it' include me, too, Avon?" he asked quietly.

"You aren't mine to give either."

"I've been yours since the beginning, no matter what you tried to do to me on that shuttle."

"Vila," Avon sighed, "I need some time alone. When this is over, then you and I can sort everything out between the two of us. I promise."

Vila turned and left, without saying another word. The apology he'd hoped for would come when Avon was ready and not before. He would have to wait and waiting was something Vila excelled at.

When the tech was certain he was completely alone again, he re-locked the door and opened a hidden compartment. He pulled the bottle out and took a very large drink, then another. It was over half-empty before he finally replaced it in its hiding place. He knew he needed sleep but the bed awaiting him seemed much too large and far too empty just now. Still, he had no choice. He stripped and lay down. The room swam and he put his arm across his eyes, hoping the vertigo would pass.

"Despite everything," Avon whispered to the darkness, "I still need you, Blake. I still need you."

He was still moaning as he fell into dream-tortured slumber.

Avon stood just outside the door into the shuttle's control room. He knew the shuttle was sinking, to crash on Malodaar, probably killing both of them. While they suspected Servalan was behind Egrorian's plot, they didn't have the time to think about it now! He'd gone to strip insulation in an attempt to gain the necessary 80 kilos of weight to achieve orbit. Then he heard ORAC's answer to Blake's question, "What weighs 80 kilos?"

+Avon weighs 80 kilos.+

Just those few damning words. He could picture Blake's hand reaching under the control console for the small laser gun hidden there. Avon didn't wait for the gun in his lover's hand to come after him.

He ran, then tripped, falling headlong into a bulkhead. Although he tried to tuck and roll out of harm's way, he still struck his shoulder sharply on a corner, sending lancing pains through the shoulder and arm. Knowing he hadn't time to even investigate his injury, he forced himself up and ran, stumbling, to a storage locker he knew he'd emptied earlier. It was a tight squeeze for someone as large as himself to fold into that space, but he had no choice. His injured shoulder was scrunched painfully into the corner as he tried to still his gasping breath.

He'd almost managed to slow his pounding heart when he heard Blake's voice, calling seductively. "Avon, where are you? Avon, help me. I've found out how they sabotaged the shuttle, but I need your help to get rid of it. Avon, Avon, where are you? Please come out, Avon. Avon?"

Avon huddled in upon himself, despite the pain in his shoulder. He knew he wasn't strong enough to fight for his life against this man. He had to trust to his hiding place. As he crouched, trembling in fear, he heard footsteps approaching his hiding place.

Had he been discovered? Fear clutched at him. He was helpless, injured, and terrified. He felt like a rabbit in the path of a wolf. Tears stung his eyes at his own helplessness. He hated to be helpless and especially hated to be at Blake's tender mercies.

As hot salty tears coursed silently down his face, the footsteps neared. Blake was still calling his name. He found himself holding his breath, lest even that give him away. The footsteps paused near him. He was going to die! He couldn't stand hiding any longer. He knew he had to face Blake, to fight for his own life. And he knew he'd lose. The tears still fell as he remained anchored by his own fear, helpless in the hands of one he loved.

Shivering, trying to remain silent, he gasped as a large, strong hand reached into his hiding place, gripped his shoulder, and began to drag him out to his death! He screamed…

…and woke to darkness, warm arms surrounding him as he sat up wide-eyed in his own bed on Xenon Base. He gasped for air, unable to accept the reality of his safety. He was still in the grip of the fear he'd felt in the shuttle, fear of Blake, fear of certain death approaching, unstoppable.

"Who…what…" he asked incoherently.

"Shhh, it's all right, Avon, all right," came Vila's quiet voice in the dark. "I don't know what's wrong, but it'll be all right."

"Vila? Vila, is that you? Why are you here, what's going on?" he asked, still disoriented.

"I don't know what's wrong. I came when I heard you screaming and thrashing about. You were quite loud, you know," Vila answered patiently. "And I do seem to spend more and more nights rescuing you from your nightmares."

Avon clung to him like a drowning man, as first the nightmare and then the events between himself and Vila before that came sharply into focus.

He gasped at the almost physical impact of his discovery. "Vila, why are you here, and helping me?" he questioned, trying to push himself away from Vila's shoulder and arms.

"I told you, I heard you scream and came to help," Vila repeated, not knowing were Avon was heading.

"I…I was dreaming, Vila, about Malodaar. Only, I was you and Blake was me. ORAC told him to throw me out the airlock to save the shuttle, and he was looking for me, calling for me…just like I…called for you. Then he found me and was dragging me out of your…my hiding place, and I…guess I screamed." He stopped, because he didn't know what to say after that.

"Avon, it was a nightmare, not real. We're safe. Try to stop shaking and calm down, Avon, please?" Vila soothed.

But Avon wasn't having it. "Vila, I was hiding and being hunted on the shuttle…just like I hunted you. I know now what you felt and what you went through." His voice became soft as he said, "Vila, I'm sorry…for what I put you through. I…thought my survival was worth your death, but I was wrong. For what it's worth to you now, I think if I'd succeeded in…killing you, I couldn't have lived with myself."

He pulled out of Vila's arms far enough to focus on his face in the dim light of the chronometer. "Vila, don't you understand? It was Blake, stalking me on the shuttle, the same way I stalked you. Can you ever forgive me, Vila?" He stopped in desperation, staring into Vila's shadowed eyes, waiting.

Vila was silent for a moment. Then in answer, he pulled Avon close in his arms and kissed him. It was answer enough for the both of them, that and what followed.

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_A/N: Yes, at last it is time for Gauda Prime. The next chapter/story is 'Cry in the Darkness.' Avon and Vila, plus a surprising, returning face, go through hell and out the other side – eventually._


End file.
